6 • The Southwest Portland Post
NEWS
Busy Capitol Highway
“All we ask for is an equitable pro-
cess,” Wade concluded. “Fairness
must be addressed when budgeting is
allocated.
“What might cost $3 million on the
east side (of the Willamette River) may
cost $20 million on the west side due
to topographical/environmental chal-
lenges.”
Don Snedecor contributed to this story.
To read the Capitol Highway Plan Refine-
ment Report 2011(which focuses on future
construction of the Garden Home segment)
please go to http://www.portlandoregon.
gov/transportation/49304. The Multnomah
Neighborhood Association meets every sec-
ond Tuesday, 7:00 p.m., at the Multnomah
Arts Center, Room 30, 7688 SW Capitol
Hwy.
(Continued from Page 1)
the stroller onto the road.”
“With the flow of traffic and high
speeds, it was no easy task,” said
Gardner.
The couple recently made a video
of impassable areas due to mud.
Wade, Gardener and their two-year-old
daughter live off of Southwest Capitol
Highway and Alice Street.
Wade, who is a civic educator and
organizer, and past vice chair and sec-
retary of the Multnomah Neighborhood
Association, agreed to be interviewed
by The Post for this story. What follows
are excerpts from that interview.
Q: What is the one thing you’d like the
city to know about your dilemma?
A: Capitol Highway is devoid of so
many of the street improvements that
other Portlanders take for granted. No
sidewalks, bike lanes, curbs, or cross-
walks mixed with high speeds and
often distracted and unyielding drivers
make this section of Capitol extremely
unfriendly and unsafe for pedestrians.
This is my neighborhood. This is
where I walk with my daughter nearly
every day, yet some days, I feel like I’m
being an irresponsible parent who is
putting my little one in harm’s way. I
shouldn’t have to feel that way.
Q: Are you planning on taking additional
action?
A: My family plans to continue to
document our struggles with walking
along and across Capitol Highway and
to share these with staff and commis-
sioners for Portland’s Bureau of Trans-
portation as well as Portland’s Bureau
of Environmental Services.
I will remain active in my neighbor-
hood and appreciate the (Multnomah
Neighborhood Association) organizing
around these issues. I have had oppor-
tunities to speak with city representa-
tives and highly encourage other people
with these concerns to (engage).
Q: What would your dream be for this
January 2014
An artist's conception of Capitol Highway, complete with sidewalks, facing north toward
Southwest Lobellia Street. (Graphic courtesy of Portland Bureau of Transportation)
situation?
A: Capitol has the potential for my
family and Multnomah to realize a
“20-minute neighborhood” - to safely
access a store, a library, a school, a park
on foot.
It’s unfortunate to know that Capitol
has been a priority project for street
improvements since the ‘90s, yet this
one mile stretch remains unimproved.
My dream would be to see that 20
minute neighborhood realized, to have
a safe and navigable sidewalk from
Taylor’s Ferry into the Village, to add
crosswalks along the way, to have the
city’s bureaus work together and be flex-
ible with codes to make that happen.
In my dream, Capitol would be a
conduit for community where people
stroll and bike with their families and
visit with their neighbors and not just
another way for speeding cars to get
from point A to point B.
Q: Are there any stories of neighbors or
parents who share your concerns?
A: When you’re walking along
Capitol you don’t pause long to have
conversation. You see people like dog
walkers, bus riders, caregivers with
kids challenged by the exact same
things that you are.
That muddy patch around a bend that
you can’t push your stroller through.
Parked cars in the right of way forcing
you into the street. That stream of cars
that just won’t stop to allow you to cross
the street.
Wade said she plans to keep fight-
ing and won’t stop until the issue is
resolved. The city has been promis-
ing funds and redevelopment for this
stretch of Capitol Highway but other
priorities and budget cuts have become
barriers to progress.
According to Moses Ross, chair of the
Multnomah Neighborhood Associa-
tion, this issue will remain on the neigh-
borhood’s agenda for years to come.
“We’ve invited (City Commissioner)
Steve Novick,” Ross said, “to a future
meeting.”
Novick is the commissioner in charge
of the Bureau of Transportation and a
Multnomah resident.
Hayhurst Playground
(Continued from Page 1)
entail. She has formed a committee which
is researching various grants to jumpstart
the project. Then they hope to connect with
a variety of companies with deep pockets to
help fulfill this dream.
“Hayhurst is quite a unique school,”
Kreutz explained as her six-year old
swung on the bars. “One side of the
school encompasses the Odyssey pro-
gram which enrolls by lottery; the other
half is called the ‘Neighborhood’.”
It was evident by the compost bins,
raised beds, and dormant gardens that
this school aims high and encourages
creativity and a sense of the way people
used to play in the day.
“We have years to go,” Kreutz ended.
“We’ll get there with the community’s
support.”
Tax deductible donations can be mailed to:
Hayhurst Elementary School, Attn: Dream
Big Project, 5037 SW Iowa St., Portland,
97221, or go to the website, http://hay-
hurstdreambigproject.weebly.com and
click on the ‘donate now’ button. Please
make your check or money order payable
to Hayhurst PTA and include the Dream
Big Project on the memo line.
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Excellent SW Portland references